The ceramic architectural building materials of an early Modern aristocratic residence
Le Château de la Rivière (28 -Pontgouin). Les terres cuites d'une résidence élitaire du XVII e siècle
Abstract
Archaeological evaluation was carried out on the aristocratic residence of the Chateau de la Rivière (Pontgouin, department of the Eure-et-Loir, France) from 2015 to 2016. The site belonged to the Haligre family from whom issued many very important court officials from the end of the 16th to the middle of the 18th century. The existing chateau is primarily the work of Etienne I and Etienne II Haligre from around 1624 to 1657, with a hiatus due to the Fronde rebellion betwenne 1648 and 1652.
Excavation during test trenching brought to light a certain quantity of ceramic building materials comprised of tiles, bricks and floor tiles. This material came from contexts associated with the building work of the residence and its farm buildings which were put up during the first half of the 17th century, from the late 1620s to the mid 1650s. The study of these finds showed the production of different forms and modules using several fabrics and therefore the existence of several workshops which supplied the building site. This effectively points to the difficulties in sourcing building materials for an ambitious architectural project which was in competition for workers and resources with another equally major construction site: that of the Haligre's suzerain, the bishop of Chartres. The initial analyses of the fabrics have allowed the identification of several potential workshops but further work, including historical research and laboratory analyses, is needed to support these hypotheses.
Un diagnostic archéologique dans le cadre de travaux de restauration et de mise aux normes des réseaux du château de La Rivière à Pontgouin (28) a livré une certaine quantité de terres cuites architecturales contemporaines à la construction de l'ensemble entre la fin des années 1620 au milieu des années 1650. L'analyse de ce mobilier a permis d'identifier plusieurs formes (briques, tuiles et carreaux) réalisées avec une variété de pâtes. Cette diversité est à l'image d'un chantier important qui a puisé dans les capacités de production de plusieurs ateliers pour satisfaire la demande. Ce travail a permis d'identifier plusieurs lieux de production potentiels et d'établir un petit corpus de référence pour la période. Des investigations plus poussées seront toutefois nécessaires pour préciser les premières observations.
Origin : Files produced by the author(s)
